Individual differences in socioaffective skills influence the neural bases of fear processing: The case of alexithymia
Hum. Brain Mapp.. 2010-02-02; 31(10): 1469-1481
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20953
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1. Hum Brain Mapp. 2010 Oct;31(10):1469-81. doi: 10.1002/hbm.20953.
Individual differences in socioaffective skills influence the neural bases of
fear processing: the case of alexithymia.
Pouga L(1), Berthoz S, de Gelder B, Grèzes J.
Author information:
(1)Cognitives Neurosciences Laboratory, INSERM U960 and DEC-Ecole Normale
Supérieure, Paris, France.
Being exposed to fear signals makes us feel threatened and prompts us to prepare
an adaptive response. In our previous studies, we suggested that amygdala (AMG)
and premotor cortex (PM) play a role in the preparation of the observers’ motor
response required by the situation. The present experiment aimed at assessing
how interindividual differences in alexithymia–a personality trait associated
with deficits in emotional reactivity and regulation–influence the neural
network associated with the perception of fear. Using fMRI, we scanned 34
healthy subjects while they were passively observing fearful body expressions.
Applying a dimensional approach, we performed correlation analyses between
fear-related brain areas and alexithymia scores among all participants. Using a
categorical approach, we conducted a between-group comparison (13 high vs. 12
low-alexithymia subjects). Our results were threefold. First, the right AMG
activity in response to fearful stimuli was negatively correlated with the level
of difficulty to identify emotions. Second, PM activity was linked to reduced
subjective emotional reactivity. Third, the between-group comparison revealed
greater activity in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for high than
low-alexithymia scorers. Moreover, the relationship between ACC and PM was in
opposite direction in individuals with high (negative link) and low (positive
link) alexithymia. Therefore, compared to our previous findings, we hereby
further reveal how ACC interacts with PM to sustain self-regulation of one’s own
emotional state in response to threatening social signals. Moreover, this neural
mechanism could account for the description of the « cold-blooded » personality of
individuals with alexithymia.
© 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20953
PMCID: PMC6870595
PMID: 20127873 [Indexed for MEDLINE]